"Oh, I see." After listening to Lin Tianran's stuttering explanation due to nervousness, Lina suddenly realized. She noticed the photo of their own leader hanging around Lin Tianran's neck and burst into laughter. "I didn't expect you to still wear it."
"Thank you for helping me out today," Lin Tianran sincerely thanked Lina. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have known how to handle the situation!
"Hey, no need to thank me!" Lina was a straightforward girl. "If you put it that way, I should be thanking you!"
"Thank me?" Lin Tianran was a bit puzzled.
"Last time, I got scolded so badly by General Li because of that project proposal. Luckily, your formatting was neat, which earned me a compliment from General Li at the end. Otherwise, in front of all my colleagues, I wouldn't have known where to hide my face with his angry expression." Lina recalled her boss's stern face and felt quite wrong.
Lin Tianran didn't know how to respond to this. Well, the formatting, cough cough, was actually taught by your boss himself.
"By the way, I must have scared you when I bossed you around so harshly last time," Lina remembered her temper tantrum and immediately laughed. "Oh my, don't take it seriously; I didn't mean any harm, really. But that's just how I am. I'm easygoing in everything else, but when it comes to work, I take it extremely seriously, like a raging dragon. I easily rub people the wrong way. My coworkers even call me two-faced."
"Being diligent in your work is a good thing," Lin Tianran certainly wasn't offended. He was grateful to Lina for giving him a chance to learn.
"I didn't expect we'd get along so well. Let's be friends."
"Can we?" Lin Tianran was pleasantly surprised. It seemed like another person wanted to be his friend.
"Of course! Don't you know that for us in sales, making friends is the first step to expanding our business? Haha." Lina had an outgoing personality and easily influenced those around her.
"Yeah," Lin Tianran also smiled happily.
"Li Dong!" Yao Wang walked into the hospital room with a luxurious fruit basket, followed closely by Li Yicheng.
"Oh, Xiaowang, you're back," Li Chongmao, lying on the hospital bed, had just finished dinner. "Yicheng is here too."
"Dad, how are you feeling?" Li Yicheng asked as he sat down by the old man's bedside. "You look much better than when I last saw you. Your lips are rosy now."
"Not bad, Every morning the nurses push me out to soak up the sun with the other elderly folks. In the afternoon, after I wake up from a nap, I read books. Life is leisurely," Li Chongmao's voice sounded stronger than when he first entered the hospital.
"Yao Wang, why do your eyes look so dark?" the old man asked.
"..." Yao Wang was a bit speechless and quickly changed the subject. "Li Dong, take good care of your health. You are the founder of Huamao, and Huamao is still waiting for your return." Yao Wang sat down next to the old man. This old man was not only his uncle but also his mentor.
"All right, all right, I know," the old man smiled kindly. Mentioning Huamao also stirred his longing. "By the way, Yao Wang, did you really open up the European market?"
"You could say that. We've reached preliminary cooperation intentions with several European companies, and if all goes well, we'll be on the right track soon."
"Cough, cough, young man, you really exceeded expectations. You're truly a chip off the old block. Back then, I didn't approve of your ideas, but now you've truly made it. Well done!" The old man felt proud of his disciple, whom he had nurtured from the ground up. Nowadays, young people dare to take risks and have surpassed this old man in many ways.
"Yao Wang, there's something I want you to promise me." The old man held Yao Wang's hand and used his other hand to hold Li Yicheng's hand, uniting the three of them.
"What is it?" Yao Wang could already guess what the old man was about to say from Li Chongmao's expression.
"I'm truly getting old and it's time for me to step down. Yicheng has just taken office, and there are still many areas where he lacks experience. You are now a seasoned veteran in this industry and a loyal servant of Huamao. I hope that in the days to come, you can wholeheartedly assist Yicheng and continue to grow and strengthen Huamao Group. Can you do that?" Li Chongmao looked at Yao Wang hopefully.
"Don't worry, Mr. Li," Yao Wang grasped the old man's wrinkled hand and agreed.
"In the future, please guide me, Mr. Yao," Li Yicheng humbly extended his goodwill.
"I'll go get Mr. Li some fruit after his meal; you two can chat," Yao Wang was a discerning person and saw that their conversation had reached its conclusion. He unpacked the luxurious fruit basket and picked up a bunch of grapes before leaving.
"Yicheng," the old man asked, "Have you found that child?"
"I found him, Dad," Li Yicheng replied, then added, "Dad, you said you wouldn't interfere."
"I was just asking, no other intention," Li Chongmao saw how concerned his son was about that child and couldn't help but offer some advice. "You have a kind heart, and Dad believes you will definitely compensate that child. You've also grown up, Dad won't stop you, you can go ahead. But, what if that child tastes the sweetness and is ultimately blinded by money?"
Li Yicheng knew what the old man meant, but he believed that Tiantian, like him, had a kind heart. He never worried about the scenario the old man had described.
"Dad, just focus on getting well," Li Yicheng reassured.
The three of them shared some grapes and chatted for a while longer. By the time they left, it was already late in the evening.
"Mr. Li, you don't need to give me a ride. My Alice will pick me up from the hospital," Yao Wang said with a beaming smile after hanging up the phone.
"Alright, see you at the company tomorrow." Li Yicheng finally didn't have to act as a chauffeur, although he showed no expression on his face, his heart was cheerful.
His stomach was empty; he hadn't eaten yet. He wondered if it was too late to return to the factory now. By the time he got back to the industrial zone from the city, it would take about an hour and a half without traffic, and it would be past 10 o'clock when he reached the company. He might end up having supper. Maybe it's better to just go home.
After returning to China, he didn't go back to the Li family villa but instead rented a bachelor apartment. Although it was not very spacious, it was in a high-end community with top-notch facilities and decorations. Moreover, from the balcony, you could see the city's vibrant lights, offering a delightful view.
If I could live with Tiantian...
Li Yicheng sat on the couch, waiting for takeout, while daydreaming about his future.
Maybe the couch needs to be replaced with a larger one; otherwise, it might be a bit cramped for both of us. The bed in the bedroom should also be upgraded to a king-size, and a softer mattress might be better. Oh, the decor is too cold; it doesn't feel warm at all. Perhaps I should repaint the walls. And a crystal chandelier would be more romantic...
Just thinking about it, Li Yicheng felt completely surrounded by happiness.
Suddenly, Lin Tianran let out a big sneeze.
The evening breeze was a bit chilly, so maybe it's better to sleep early.
After turning off the lights, Lin Tianran tossed and turned but couldn't fall asleep. Closing his eyes, all he could think about was Mr. Li's face, which was quite strange!
It must be because I'm thinking about apologizing to him!
Lin Tianran tried to hypnotize himself like this.
Today was Huamao Group's company-wide health checkup day.
"Come, come, everyone, line up to collect your health examination forms, then listen for your name to board the bus!" Manager Fang was busy with his bullhorn, organizing the queue and arranging for employees to board the buses parked at Huamao's entrance, all bearing the hospital's emblem.
This year's health checkup was particularly lively. In addition to the office staff, they also included the factory workers. Hundreds of people formed a long line, and the buses had to make several trips to accommodate them all.
"Manager Fang, how are the things I instructed you to do?" Li Yicheng walked over and inquired of Manager Fang, who was coordinating everything.
"Don't worry, Mr. Li, everything is going smoothly," Manager Fang gestured "OK" with his hand, which pleased Li Yicheng. He nodded in satisfaction and let Manager Fang continue his work.
Li Yicheng had sharp eyes and noticed a small figure waiting in line at the end. He remembered the incident during lunch that day when he was stood up. Without thinking, he walked over.
At this moment, Lin Tianran was looking down at the health examination form he had just received, which had many items listed.
"Xiao Tian!"
"Mr. Li?" Lin Tianran didn't expect to see him here. Could it be that Mr. Li was here for the employee health checkup too? No, that couldn't be right. He was the boss; why would he participate in this employee health checkup?
"Mr. Li, that day at lunch, something came up, and I forgot to come for the training. I'm really sorry, it wasn't intentional," Lin Tianran finally had a chance to speak to Mr. Li, and he didn't care about the gazes of others. He quickly apologized.
"So that's what happened. It's okay; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future," Li Yicheng couldn't conceal his joy. He had been speculating about whether Tiantian liked him or not.
"Why is your knee injured?" The mighty Li Yicheng suddenly squatted down, nervously holding Lin Tianran's exposed legs, which had been injured because he was wearing shorts.
The skin on the knee had already been soaked in a red antiseptic solution, forming a small scab, but it couldn't hide the fierceness of the wound.
The doctor in the clinic had instructed Lin Tianran to shave off the scab early to prevent it from rubbing against his pants.
"Uh, Mr. Li, please get up. I'm fine, really." Lin Tianran was startled and quickly tried to free his legs from Li Yicheng's warm palms.
"Hey, stand in line properly!" An employee behind them who had been squeezed by the commotion complained.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lin Tianran apologized again, turning his head to appease the other person.
Li Yicheng felt like his heart had been sliced with a knife. He stood up decisively and pulled Lin Tianran out of the long queue. "You won't be taking the bus. I'll give you a ride."
Without waiting for Lin Tianran to respond, Li Yicheng added in a teasing tone, "If you refuse, I'll just carry you into my car!"
However, living alone made him feel a bit lonely.
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